Iqaluit pharmacy ahead of the game

DENISE RIDEOUT

A pharmacist pours some small white pills into a plastic medicine bottle and attaches a label. The instructions “take one tablet daily” are written in English — and in Inuktitut.

The set-up at the Valupharm drug store in Iqaluit is exactly what Nunavut’s Language Commissioner wants to see across the territory.

The language commissioner, Eva Aariak, is recommending all licenced pharmacies in Nunavut be required by law to provide written and oral instructions about medication to Inuit patients in Inuktitut.

Aariak’s recommendation is part of a larger proposal for a new Inuktitut language law. She wants the legislative assembly to adopt a law that will give special rights to Inuktitut speakers and promote use of the Inuit language.

Last month, she told a Legislative Assembly Committee reviewing language policies that Inuktitut, the language spoken by an estimated 75 per cent of Nunavummiut, needs greater protection.

Aariak says her call for pharmacies to provide services in Inuktitut is a matter of public safety. Unilingual Inuit, she says, must get clear directions about the number of pills they should be taking and how often they need to take them.

During her presentation to the assembly’s language committee, Aariak said unilingual elders frequently run into difficulties reading and understanding directions on their medication.

“We often hear elders say that when they are prescribed medication, they are given their instructions written in English only,” she said.

But at least one pharmacy in the territory, Iqaluit’s Valupharm, is ahead of the game — six years ahead to be exact.

Back in 1996, the pharmacy unveiled a new service for Inuit patients: they could request that their medication come with Inuktitut instructions.

“We saw a need for it,” said Terry Fernandes, Valupharm’s owner and one of its pharmacists.

“I think it would be difficult for unilingual Inuit to understand the English instructions.”

The pharmacy undertook a major translating task: putting the brand names of about 1,000 drugs into Inuktitut.

Another Iqaluit drug store, the NorthMart pharmacy, is in the middle of a translation project of its own. Pharmacist Helene Morissette said translators are now working on putting the names of medications into Inuktitut. Soon, customers will see bilingual labels on their prescription medicine.

“It’s very important for us to put Inuktitut labels on the medication so that we can make sure the people know how to properly use the medicine,” Morissette said.

At the Valupharm, a file cabinet behind the counter is full of translated instructions. There are Inuktitut directions for everything from “take two tablets at bedtime” to “take tablets with food” to “medication may cause drowsiness.”

Inuit patients can request bilingual labels on their medicine bottles, as well as a bilingual pamphlet with information on the drug’s common uses and a list of side effects.

Fernandes said the translating was a painstakingly difficult but necessary task. The $100,000 project was two years in the making.

“It cuts down on patient error and increases patient compliance,” he explained.

Besides providing written Inuktitut directions, pharmacists also make sure they give patients oral instructions in Inuktitut. They do so with the help of the pharmacy’s two interpreters.

“We do interpreting for the patients. The interpreters are right here in the pharmacy. That way, patients will know how to take their medication,” Fernandes said.

“I’m glad we’ve done this because we are so far ahead of the game.”